Wow, you must be fun at parties.

Letterman [260]

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Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

Oct 13, 2018, 2:04 AM

I didn't like it at all,, My previous FB post from a few weeks ago:

Went to College Station TX last weekend for the Clemson - Texas A & M game. Have had a lot of respect from them from afar for years, but was underwhelmed. My write-up for one of the Clemson message boards. Comments appreciated.

I honestly didn't like the scene. The fact American Airlines screwed up all four of my flights, and cost me a reservation made in May for The Republic steakhouse Friday night, plus crap weather, and typical decentralized Texas mismanaged zoning and development making bad parking and long walks had me in a bad mood going in. Stuck at the Mad Hatter while it rained all afternoon is a sorry excuse for a tailgate, but the Aggie's there were nice.

It also didn't help that almost none of them had any knowledge of our history as a military college. One said, "We used to be like The Citadel or VMI, and we put the most 2nd Lt.'s in the Army in WWII." I had to tell him, "No, you were second behind West Point and we were third, and our entire class, to a man, volunteered in 1917 for WWI." For a group such hidebound by tradition, and a crew we'd played recently, I thought it displayed inbreeding and an inability to do research and offer critical thinking.

We went to yell practice and after watching the twin brothers of the short guy from Will and Grace prance from the end zone to the 50 to hug and go back to the end-line and repeat for 20 minutes, then watching the fake push-ups (I could only think about chickens picking up corn while laying down, and I don't even think chickens can do that), while the Aggie beside me said each of the little guys did 2080 push-ups at every yell practice. Hell, I turn that many times a night sleeping with the same or greater effort.

Then I had to listen to the the milkmen (Yell leaders dressed like 1930's milk delivery boys) mock our stadium size. I went there to hear their yells, not for a school with 67k students and a 105k seat stadium proclaim our 87k seat stadium was inferior to theirs with our 26k students. Do the math and talk when you are seating 224k.

I understand the roll of the yell leaders, but Jesus, couldn't you do it without moving like Richard Simmons having a spasm? The guys on a nuclear carrier flight deck also communicate with arm motions, but they don't look anything like the udder-pulling Village People leading the aTm cheers.

Had to bark at a couple of them in the stands, but we did overcome any misunderstandings pretty quickly. Then back at the Mad Hatter, they are all having a great time even surrounded by celebrating Clemson folks. My wife turned to me and said, "These are the happiest losers I've ever seen." If the roles had been reversed, I'd be searching for a new TV and a drywall repair guy, but it didn't didn't seem to phase them - they partied like they won, and all I could think was Bowdening.

I met many successful older A&M grads that seemed like great folks. But it felt like a cult (I want to go now to a BYU-Utah game in SLC to compare), especially the younger ones. My current hypothesis is this is a strange way of over-compensating for being irrelevant since their last national championship in 1939.

They have Little Brother Syndrome they'll never get over, even after leaving the SWC/Big12 the exact years they could have stayed and won it several times, killed the Longhorns, and been relevant. Sort of like USuC going to the Metro then still trying to find some success, except without the mullets and middle fingers, then stepping from the frying pan into the fire, making both USuC and aTm likely to be forever irrelevant. Nice moves, Exlax twins. Shower often.

Sorry if this seems a little harsh and my take is likely to be more favorable when they come her next year, but it felt a little odd the whole time, and not NEARLY the type of attitude that says "Let's Be Legendary."

I won't go back. Disjointed and weird environment surrounding a nice stadium and some traditions that, once experienced, don't need to be repeated, a position I heard from many people that went in '04 but not in '18 that have said the same thing.

I'd have rather picked two weeks from now for my one away game and answered " What'll you'll have?" with "1 Heavy Weight, 1 Glorified Steak, and 1 Varsity Orange." I'd have spent $200 for the whole weekend versus close to $1800.

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The above post is spot on. Went to College Station for the first time , including Yell Practice and everything is how you described. Our gamedaybexpwriebce sounds like it was much better than yours however. We had 2 big tailgate spots with our group and parked between 2 aggie tailgates , and I will have to say that was one of the more memorable tailgates I’ve been too- including the rain. They were amazingly nice and welcoming fans- almost to a fault.
All of traditions and yells, etc seemed extremely cultish like you mentioned. Every “War Chant” (don’t call it a fight song, they’ll correct you) they have mentions nothing but Texas- kinda sad. They don’t even play them anymore. Very Little Brotherish

Even after the game , they didn’t seem too upset with losing, especially in the way the game play out. As we were stuck in that terribly designed stadium addition , they were still doing their chants, none of them wanted to do it, it’s almost as if they were forced to. Very weird

My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

You sound fun!!***

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

Re: Wow, you must be fun at parties.

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

sounds like you had some bad luck, I think your attitude

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

Yep. They do it in front of the State House...

Re: Yep. They do it in front of the State House...

Found footage from last night.

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

I agree with you in a lot of ways

Re: My aTm grad neighbor took me to yell practice tonight.

We were hoping their band was there cuz they are amazing...

Those cheerleaders dressed like milkmen are fabulous.

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